It is known to use seamed belts in xerography. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,999 to Eugene A. Swain et al., entitled “Process for coating belt seams,” in FIG. 1, col. 3, lines 66-67 and col. 4, lines 1-7 discloses a photoreceptor belt 10 including a seam 12.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,974 to Edward L. Schlueter, Jr. et al., entitled “Invisible seam electrostatographic belt,” in FIG. 1 and col. 6, lines 29-40 discloses an endless belt 10 including a seam 11. Further, this Schlueter, Jr. et al. '974 patent in col. 12, lines 3-18 discloses using a conductive adhesive 48 in forming the belt seam.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,722 to Robert C. U. Yu et al., entitled “Seam stress release in flexible electrostatographic imaging belts,” in FIG. 2 discloses a multiple-layered seamed flexible electrophotographic imaging belt 10 comprising a seam 30 formed with ultrasonic seaming welding. Further, this Yu et al. patent in col. 9, lines 18-34 discloses other seaming methods, including gluing, taping, stapling, pressure and heat fusing to form a continuous belt.
It is also known to finish the seams of such belts. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,349 to Eugene A. Swain et al., entitled “Process for reducing thickness of a polymeric photoconductive coating on a photoreceptor with laser,” in FIGS. 6-7 and col. 6, lines 40-50 discloses a photoreceptor belt 22 with seam 24, with the seam 24 being finished by a laser beam 10 in order to remove excess seam material.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,193 to Edward L. Schlueter, Jr. et al., entitled “Endless seamed belt,” in col. 4, lines 47-55 discloses finishing a seam of a photoreceptor belt by means of air, ultrasonics or brushing. Further, this Schlueter, Jr. et al. '193 patent in col. 5, lines 39-51 discloses forming a photoreceptor belt seam by means of conventional adhesives, and then finishing the seam by means of buffing or sanding.
It is also known to use intermediate transfer belts in xerography. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,773 to John S. Berkes et al., entitled “Intermediate; transfer member,” in FIG. 1 discloses using an intermediate transfer belt 28 in an electrophotographic printing machine.
However, there are problems associated with using a seamed belt for an intermediate transfer belt application. One problem is whether the latent image can be satisfactorily applied to the seamed portion of the belt or, in other words, whether the seam itself is “imageable.” This problem of belt seam imaging is noted in the foregoing John S. Berkes et al. patent wherein it is disclosed in col. 5, lines 32-42 that “the use of a seamless belt construction is important in that a seamed belt would require synchronization to prevent the seam from interfering with the image.”
Despite the foregoing problem with seam imaging, it is known to use a seamed belt as an intermediate transfer belt. In order to achieve a seamed intermediate transfer belt, however, the belt seam must be finished to make it imageable. As a result, currently such a belt seam is hand-sanded and polished in order to achieve a seam finish that will render the seam imageable, and thereby allow the belt to be used as an intermediate transfer belt. Such manual hand-finishing techniques have inherent limitations, of course, including quality control, throughput, efficiency and cost.
Abrasive finishing machines are known. For example, James N. Johnson, “Micro-abrasive finishing device,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,387, granted 10 Jan. 1989, discloses such an abrasive finishing machine. Further, it is known to use such abrasive finishing machines to achieve mechanized high-quality finishing of fuser rollers that are then used in xerographic printing machines. To date, however, it is not known to use a finishing machine to achieve a finished belt seam that is sufficiently imageable to allow the seamed belt to be used as an intermediate transfer belt.
The problem is how to use an abrasive finishing machine to finish the seam of a seamed intermediate transfer belt to achieve a finished seam that is imageable.